Anthropic is committing 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund, creating a vehicle whose value could rise alongside the artificial intelligence company’s stock.
The Anthropic Public Benefit Fund will have greater flexibility to support projects linked to the company’s social mission. Anthropic said it could make large donations to established non-profit organisations or distribute funds directly to specific groups.
The company cited the impact of AI on labour markets as one area for possible action. It has already pledged 200 million dollars to study the effects of AI, but said the pace of technological progress meant “bolder approaches may be needed”.
Anthropic was established as a public benefit corporation by chief executive Dario Amodei and its five other co-founders. The structure allows a for-profit company to balance financial objectives with social impact.
The co-founders have also pledged to donate 80% of their wealth. Separately, about half of Anthropic’s employees participate in an equity donation matching programme, under which the company matches shares pledged by workers.
Anthropic said that, including Sunday’s commitment, about 20% of its shares would be dedicated to the “public good”. That proportion could increase if the company’s valuation reaches specified milestones.
The company is planning a major initial public offering as soon as November.
